Page 59 of The Holiday Hate-Off
I shake my head. “I thought you weren’t a gossip,cara mia. Or a liar. But if you’d like, I’d be happy to proveyouwrong. Anytime.”
She’s breathing rapidly, her chest rising and falling. My gaze takes it in hungrily.
“Have the day you deserve,” she finally says, “and put on a damn coat.” Then she stomps into the café.
I return to Hidden Italy, my teeth chattering, and pour myself a large coffee from the carafe by the deli counter.
“Who won this round?” Giovanni asks as he looks up from his phone.
“We both did,” I say with a grin, and I head back into the office.
I sketch Lucia, the way I used to sketch the birds in my book. She’s so beautiful the drawing can’t be seen as anything but a compliment, so I add a hairy mole to the middle of her forehead with a marker.
That night, it’s my turn to stay with Nonna Francesca. She insists on making me dinner, saying she’s not worm food yet. Afterward we watch her favorite Christmas movie,It’s a Wonderful Life, even though it always puts a saccharine taste in my mouth. I must be truly bored, because I find myself wondering what it would be like to watch it with Lucy. I’d keep up a running commentary about all the parts that were ridiculous and illogical, and she’d tear down my criticisms.
I’ll bet she’d enjoy that.
I certainly would.
Damn. I’m looking forward to seeing what she has planned for me at dinner tomorrow night.
Despite her protests, I have no doubt she does have something planned, and it’s almost certain to be awful.
CHAPTER 14
LUCY
TEXT CONVERSATION WITH CHARLIE
Do you know any young guys who like the Golden Girls?
Uh…what?
You know the guy who left that note at my door?
The stalker?
Well, he lives in my building, and we’ve been exchanging notes, but he left the last one in a Golden Girls card and mentioned something about watching it together. Do you think he’s elderly?
You’re asking if I think hot, young guys watch Golden Girls? Say that out loud and listen to whatit sounds like.
Oh, forget it. It doesn’t matter. I’m not into this guy. We’ve just been exchanging friendly notes, but I guess I was envisioning someone younger.
You can’t see me, but I’m laughing my ass off.
Have fun tonight.
HUDSON is young. And hot. Practice with him. Practice HARD.
Yeah, Enzo’s going to be so pissed. (Message error, Redelivered.)
Forget Enzo.
Who?
Despite my casual dismissal of Enzo in my text conversation with Charlie earlier this morning, forgetting him is easier said than done.
I’ve been thinking about him constantly since that moment outside Love at First Sip yesterday.
